Lifesavers of the Far South Coast will no longer patrol the shire's beaches due to the risk of coronavirus.
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From this Saturday, there will be no red and yellow flags right through to the end of the patrol season (April 26).
Surf clubs of the Eurobodalla Shire and Bega Valley Shire were having difficulty finding an effective balance between the health and safety of volunteer members while maintaining their role as lifesavers.
A Surf Life Saving NSW spokesperson said the risk was too high.
"We're fortunate on the Far South Coast to not have high numbers of beach-goers that is being experienced in other parts of the state," the spokesperson said.
"However, we also have far fewer volunteer patrol members than clubs in metropolitan areas and the risks to many of venturing out is placing pressure on our typical patrol structure."
The spokesperson said lifesavers would still be active.
"In place of beach patrols, we'll be increasing our on-water roving presence and support operations capability with jetskis and IRBs taking to the water wherever possible on the weekends," the spokesperson said.
"Our emergency callout capacity remains unchanged with all club callout teams prepared and ready to respond to emergencies as required 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"We'll still be there to help keep an eye on people, you'll just see us out on the water rather than on the beaches and you'll see us up and down the coastline rather than confined to regular patrol areas."
The spokesperson urged the public to be safe and check conditions before entering the water.
"We know these are trying times for everyone and we encourage all to be mindful of the advice we're receiving from government to limit our movements as much as possible," the spokesperson said.
"Just as beaches are unpatrolled during the week, we need to take responsibility for ourselves when swimming.
"No beach patrols on weekends means you should always stop and assess the conditions before entering the water and never swim alone."